Penguins give fans free food; which NHL team is most ready for hot start? (Puck Headlines)

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Gary Bettman: Haunting your dreams forever now.

• The Pittsburgh Penguins are bribing, er, offering their fans free food and deep discounts to make nice after the lockout. [Penguins]

• The Phoenix Coyotes vow to offer “special value” games to their fans. What, are they going to pay them? [Phoenix Business Journal]

• Which NHL teams will start fast in a 48-game season? Hows about the Los Angeles Kings? “The Kings' championship run last year was a surprise, but they are a favorite this season. This is practically the same team that overwhelmed its opponents with physicality and speed, becoming the first eighth seed to win the Stanley Cup. Health, at least at the outset, is a concern, though. Goalie Jonathan Quick had back surgery, and center Anze Kopitar recently injured his knee playing in Sweden. If the Kings jell like they did last spring, watch out.” [USA Today]

• Larry Brooks is still swinging away at Gary Bettman. His latest has Shane Doan as the reason why the NHL moved on the salary cap number for next season. ALL HAIL SHANE DOAN! [NY Post]

• Why an Ilya Bryzgalov for Rick DiPietro trade would be the best thing of all time ever. [NHL Numbers]

• Mark Spector is wondering if this CBA is all it’s cracked up to be: “Can the Blues and Sharks raise ticket prices at the same rate to keep up with salary inflation? As the salary cap rises, does payroll disparity not become an issue for owners whose GMs have budgets, while a third of the league presses up against the cap limit? How does ownership in Colorado, Dallas and Anaheim -- big league markets where fans want nothing less than a club that competes on all fronts -- both make a profit and spend to the cap?” [Sportsnet]

• Bourne has a hunch Victor Hedman’s going to be pretty good: “Victor Hedman was drafted number two overall in 2009 by the Tampa Bay Lightning, one spot behind John Tavares, and one spot ahead of Matt Duchene. He’s been a reliable force for the Bolts on the backend, never scoring less than 20 points in any of his three seasons there, and logging big minutes for the team, including in situations when it matters.” [Backhand Shelf]

• So is Damien Brunner going to end up being a surging new star on Henrik Zetterberg’s line or the next Fabian Brunstrumm? [Winging It]

• Lepore talks to some heavy hitters in sports media journalism about the damage the NHL lockout did to the brand and what to expect from the NHL on NBC this season. Richard Deitsch’s idea for a gimmick: “Zamboni-cam, and celebrity Zamboni drivers during intermissions!” [SB Nation]

• Someone’s not exactly digging the Roberto Luongo to the Flyers rumors: “I just hope to god the Canucks just keep Luongo or let him go to the Leafs. Anyone but the Flyers. Seriously where is Pelle Lindberg and Ron Hextall when you need them?” [Broad Street Buzz]

• The NHL has made it so the Minnesota Wild can take part in Hockey Day Minnesota, which seems like the appropriate thing to do. [Russo]

• Great piece by Down Goes Brown on the demise of Brian Burke: “But when it comes to wins and losses, none of that matters. (And please say a small prayer for Maple Leafs fans that this really is about wins and losses, and not about Burke’s ability to play nice with his new corporate masters as some have speculated, because if that’s the case, then this franchise might never win again and wouldn’t deserve to.) Burke may be a good man, but so far in Toronto, he hadn’t been a winning one.” [Grantland]

• The Puck Buddys honor Brian Burke’s other legacy, as a social change advocate. [PBs]